Source A: Henry Mayhew visits a prison (19th century)

The next moment a stream of some dozen or two prisoners poured from the cells, carrying their coats on their arms, and drew themselves up in two files across the centre corridor. Then we heard the warder cry, “Cleaners, face! – Cooks, face! – Bakers, face!” whereupon the men wheeled round with almost military precision, and retired, some to wash the entrance passages and offices, others to help in the kitchen, and others in the bakehouse.

By this time (ten minutes past six), the prison was all alive, and humming like a hive with the activity of its inmates. Some of the convicts, clad in their suits of mud-brown cloth, were out in the long corridors sweeping the black asphalt* pavement till it glistened again as if polished with black-lead. Others, in the narrow galleries above, were on their knees washing the flags of slate that now grew blue-black around them with the water; others, again, in the centre corridor, were hearthstoning* the steps, and making them as white as slabs of biscuit-china; and others, too, in their cells, cleaning the floors and furniture there. A warder stood watching the work on each of the little mid-air bridges that connect the opposite storeys of every corridor, whilst other officers were distributed throughout the building, so as to command the best points for observing the movements of the prisoners.

Our attendant led us to an elevated part of the building, so that we might have a bird’s-eye view of the scene; and assuredly it was a strange sight to look down upon the long arcade-like corridors, that were now half-fogged with the cloud of dust rising from the sweepers’ brooms, and witness the bustle and life of that place, which on our entrance seemed as still as so many cloisters; while the commingling of the many different sounds-the rattling of pails, the banging of doors, the scouring of the stones, the rumbling of trucks, the tramping of feet up the metal stairs, all echoing through the long tunnels-added greatly to the peculiarity of the scene.

The officer now drew our attention to the fact that the hands of the clock were pointing to the time he had mentioned, and that the men who had been at work along one side of the galleries had all finished, and withdrawn. Then began the same succession of noises – like the clicking, as we have said, of so many musket-triggers – indicating the unlocking of the opposite cells; and we could see, whence we stood, the officers hastening along the corridors, unfastening each door, as they went, with greater rapidity than even lamplighters travel from lamp to lamp along a street; and immediately afterwards we beheld a fresh batch of cleaners come out into each gallery, and the sweepers below cross over and begin working under them, whilst the same noises resounded through the building as before.

Source B: Alex Cavendish goes back to prison

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TASK: Annotate the rest of the text and Source B to label any inferences you can make while reading.

Question 1: Are these statements true or false (source A)?

1. The prisoners appear disorganised2. This is a prison for cooks, cleaners and bakers only

The question we’ve been working with ask you to compare DIFFERENCES. However, future exam questions might ask you to look for SIMILARITIES – be prepared for any eventuality.

TASK : Complete the grid.

Source A Source B What’s different and what might be inferred from this?

THE PLACE

THE PEOPLE

Possible answer – note, we are not focusing on the language, just facts:

So what can you put in the differences column?

Think about what the two texts say about the people: source A sees the workers as busy, noisy: they know their places and respond to orders quickly and efficiently. This shows that they are well-drilled and disciplined and suggests that they are part of a well-oiled machine ; however in source B the prisoners are unwashed, unhygienic suggesting that they have lost their self-respect or dignity. Can we draw any inferences between the TIME of the two descriptions? 19th century prisoners performed a function, perhaps work was part of their punishment and part of their rehabilitation.

How to write the comparison:

I’ve tried not to mention ‘the writer’ (instead I’ve talked about the source) – this will stop me being tempted to talk about authorial intent and language.

There are some quotes and there is some inference, but I’ve also tried to summarise key ideas from the two texts. And notice my comparisons.

Jumping forward a little, question 4 asks you to compare VIEWPOINTS, ATTITUDES - this will require you to talk about language, methods, author’s ideas etc. Here’s an example of how to write for Q4

Can you see how here I’ve tried to use language features; I’ve also used ‘the writer’ or even the writer’s name to prompt me to talk about methods.

Here are Q2 and Q4 responses side by side to make it clear: